1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, such as a digital Multi Function Product (MFP) that functions as a copier, a facsimile, a printer, a scanner etc., an image processing method, and a computer product.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a digital Multi Function Product (MFP) is increasingly used to accumulate and store digital image data on a built-in Hard Disk Device (HDD) and output the stored digital image data when necessary.
However, in many instances, when outputting the image data that is accumulated and stored in the HDD, a passage of time occurs between the time of accumulation and storage of the image data and the time of output. Circumstances of an operator who outputs the image data, in other words, requirements and needs of the operator change during such a passage of time, and the stored image data is incompatible with the changed requirements and needs of the operator.
For example, if a copy function is used during a facsimile transmission of the image data that is stored in the HDD, image quality of the image data differs significantly, thereby significantly reducing the productivity of the MFP.
Moreover, upon using the copy function, the image data, which is accumulated and stored in the HDD by combining two documents of A4 size on one transfer sheet of A4 size, is output by plotting the two documents of A4 size on two transfer sheets of A4 size. The image quality significantly differs during such a usage of the copy function, thereby significantly reducing the productivity.
To overcome the aforementioned drawbacks, in a technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No 2002-111988, a second image-data processing unit is included that carries out image processing on the image data that is stored and accumulated in the HDD.
In a technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No 2003-224716, when using another image processing unit to output the image data that is accumulated and stored in the HDD, the image data is corrected to predetermined characteristics during output to the other image processing unit.
However, the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No 2002-111988 aims to enhance process speed by including the second image-data processing unit but a method to reuse the image data accumulated in the HDD included inside the MFP is not mentioned.
In the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No 2003-224716, correction of the image data is carried out after the image data is accumulated in the HDD, thereby resulting in a low efficiency (process speed) of transaction of the accumulated image data. Moreover, because the aforementioned correction aims to suppress variation due to differences between individual image processing units, the correction does not deal with a modification in requirements during output such as a modification of destination (from a copy function to a facsimile transmission function) etc.